1. Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to power generation, and more particularly, to methods and systems for generating power through compressed gas.
2. Description of Related Art
A great number of modern devices rely on energy produced from one type of power plant or another—from coal, wind, or nuclear power plants to combustion engines to hydraulic or pneumatic pumps. Such systems are used to power modern devices through the generation of electricity or mechanical force. In numerous applications, it is advantageous for the system to output energy in the form of a mechanical force.
According to one such system, a combustion engine is used to burn fuel, which releases energy in the form of rapidly expanding gas. The gas expansion is used to drive a piston and, in turn, a shaft to which the piston is connected. The rotation of the shaft can be used to generate electricity through a generator, or can be mechanically coupled to a wheel or other tool.
Although such a system is capable of producing large amounts of power, the use of moving parts introduces inherent inefficiencies which increase the cost of using such a system to create electricity or mechanical force. In addition to introducing waste, the moving parts undergo wear and therefore require maintenance and eventual replacement, which further increases the cost of such a system. Finally, such systems require manufacture and assembly according to exacting specifications which increase the cost of the system and any replacement parts.
According to another such system, a boiler is used to burn fuel. The combustion of the fuel releases a large amount of energy in the form of heat. The heat is used to boil water, and thereby form steam. The steam is produced at high pressure, and is used to drive a turbine by allowing the high pressure steam to escape to a lower pressure environment, creating a fluid flow. The turbine converts the fluid flow into mechanical rotation of a shaft. The mechanical rotation of the shaft can be used to generate electricity through a generator, or can make use of mechanical force by direct attachment to a mechanical system, such as a flywheel.
While such a system has fewer moving parts than the combustion engine, the system depends on a supply of water to create steam. In a design where the steam is released to an external environment, a large supply of water is needed to replenish the water in the boiler as it is depleted. In an alternative design, the large water supply is eliminated by reclaiming the exhaust steam and condensing it back to water. The condenser system, however, introduces additional cost and complexity.
Therefore, it would be beneficial to provide a power plant that eliminates the problems described above by eliminating moving parts and by using a pneumatic fluid readily available from an external environment that is capable of outputting energy in an efficient manner.